Obama vs. the other guy, 2008

Obama in MO SLAPS McCain on Economy (w/VIDEO)

Obama just hit John McCain hard on the economy in a town hall meeting in Springfield, Missouri (note, I’m mixing prepared remarks with paraphrases that I’m watching) and debuts a great new line: “They have nothing new to offer, but they want you to think I’m risky. This time it’s too risky NOT to change.”

My opponent believes we’re on the right course. He’s said our economy has made great progress these past eight years. He’s embraced the Bush economic policies and promises to continue them.

Senator McCain wants to debate taxes, I’m ready. I just was just reading that Wild Bill Hickock had his first duel right here in Springfield, MO. Family legend is that Wild Bill is a distant legend of mine (I’m serious). I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s the legend. I think it’s true because I’m ready to duel John McCain on taxes right here.

There’s more:

(Paraphrasing) While we’re both proposing tax cuts, there’s a big difference on who the taxes are for. 1/4 of McCain’s tax cuts goes to folks making millions of dollars. I want to cut taxes for middle class families, ordinary folks. My tax cuts will benefit ordinary families 3 times as much.

Let me be clear, but you’ll start seeing ads calling me a “tax and spend liberal, etc: If you are a family making less than $250,000 a year, you will NOT see your taxes go up. Not payroll, capital gains, income, etc.

I refuse to believe we can’t do anything about the economy. We can continue with the same fiscal policies George Bush is implementing, or we can restore some fiscal responsibility in Washington. Yes we can.

We can go another four years with a broken health care system. We can keep on doing the same thing, or we can finally decide we’re going to fix this thing.

Also, infrastructure:

You can’t tell me we can spend $10-12 billion a month in Iraq, but we can’t invest some of that money right here in the United States of America. That’s what we can do in this election. The choice is ours.

He then slaps Bush and McCain on energy, asking:

Where was George Bush for the last eight years? For that matter, where has John McCain been for the last 25? Now there idea is drill for more oil…I know it’s tempting, but it’s not real.

It’s nice to hear Obama start to move on offense. But there’s a LOT more he can do, especially to paint McCain as out of touch. Why not just say McCain has no clue on the economy? Still, it’s a good start, and he sounds enthused and eager to take them on.

Let’s hope it’s a start.

UPDATE: I love this:

Nobody thinks John McCain has a new idea on how to fix our country’s problem. All they’ve been doing, every ad has been attacking me.

Not one person thinks he has any new ideas, so they’re trying to make me risky. He’s not patriotic.

We don’t have much to offer, but he’s risky. I know you don’t really like what we’re doing, but he’s risky. That’s their argument.

It’s true that change is hard. Change isn’t easy. And the question you have to ask yourself is, what’s more risky? Bringing about changes you know we need to make, or doing the same thing over and over and over again even though we know they won’t work.

About Strategy ’08

Strategy ’08 is a new blog dedicated to covering issues surrounding the 2008 Presidential Campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain. Authors are long-time bloggers and unabashed Barack Obama supporters dansac, slinkerwink, turneresq, zenbowl, smash artist and gdh1 who often post on DailyKos and elsewhere.